On April 22, 2026, in Astana, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev took part in a High-Level Special Session titled "Environmental Partnership between the SCO and UNEP: Joint Actions for a Sustainable Future of the Region" held within the framework of the Regional Environmental Summit. The event was organized by the SCO Secretariat and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The session was also attended by Inger Andersen, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as heads of ministries and agencies responsible for environmental protection from SCO member states.
In his welcoming remarks Nurlan Yermekbayev informed the participants about the work being carried out by the SCO in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection, emphasizing that regional cooperation on the "green" agenda can serve as a driver for global efforts to implement environmental policies. In this regard the Secretary-General stressed the significant potential for cooperation between the SCO and UNEP on the environmental track, noting the importance of holding joint activities aimed at achieving concrete results. As a first step Nurlan Yermekbayev suggested that the participants of the special session consider launching a multilateral research project under the auspices of the SCO and UNEP aimed at improving ambient air quality in the largest cities of the Organisation’s member states.
On the sidelines of the meeting Nurlan Yermekbayev held talks with Maksim Lysenko, First Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus. They discussed current challenges facing SCO member states in this area, ways to overcome them, and outlined promising vectors for cooperation.
In 2024 the SCO Secretariat and UNEP signed a Memorandum of Understanding serving as the foundation for cooperation in the field of environmental protection.
The Special Session is aimed at strengthening the partnership between the SCO and UNEP, coordinating actions, demonstrating the achievements of SCO member states in environmental protection, enhancing the Organisation's role in shaping the global environmental agenda and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.